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The Bullying Hurts Program
Pioneers In Anti-bullying Education PLUS +
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A Word From Marvin...
A Word From Marvin....
(or maybe...several words)
Today I have decided that "enough is enough" and the TV Show, The View, has finally brought the ignorance and misunderstanding of bullying over the top! In an effort to secure ratings, masked as a story about bullying, The View, as well as many other morning show media, have had the young boy from Upper Darby, PA (who was bullied by seven other young men and hung in a tree) on national television and - oh yes, let us not forget that they also brought on big time football players who gave the bullying victim a jersey and told him that they would "have his back." Let me put this in words that I am sure everyone will understand; this is BULL! (pardon the pun) There are seven kids deeper into the juvenile system because The View, these big time football players and all the other media who ran this story, were reactive for ratings instead of pro-active for the sake of these kids. Why couldn't these same people have showed up every Monday in a school somewhere to work with kids like these? It just might have been exactly what these seven boys needed to put them on the right path of education and social behavior! We do not have to guess, it is a fact that good male role models are few and far between and as nice as it was to give the bullying victim a fancy jersey with a high profile name on it, it will do those seven bullies no good now! We must learn the reason why, what is wrong on the inside of a kid, comes out in such a negative way. To stop this kind of thing, I rolled my rodeo clown barrel from the Capital in D.C. to Cowtown, NJ (140 miles) where I work every Summer as their rodeo clown. Along the way I was asked by a D.C. reporter what I thought would come out of my efforts and I told her that I hoped we will all learn, become aware, be engaged and better educate our kids. Sadly, we have not. Oh yes, there is much more awareness of bullying. When we created Bullying Hurts ten years ago, you could Google the word bullying and get maybe 100 or so pages of information, today if you do the same search you will get back 11,487,000 pages of information - and still the problem is getting worse! If you are Gay or Lesbian, you get your own organization or the Department of Education writes a "Dear Colleague" letter, but if you are 13, black, small, poor and live in a rough neighborhood, witnesses do not even call 911. What difference does it make what or who you are - no one, should be mistreated or abandoned when you are hurting.
Today bullying is to kids what drugs were in the 60's. Bullying gives the same euphoria that young people received from drugs that they took. They actually get a kind of high from bullying others. This information was given to me by many kids that I have questioned on the reasons for bullying. The special interest groups, media and TV, gets more attention and ratings for covering bullying issues. Waiting for Superman has us believing that educators are to blame. We have little or no discipline in schools. We have kids on the street that are uneducated and unemployed, but why work when you can get free food, a free home and free health care from the system? The system IS the problem. I would love to have a half hour conversation with the president and tell him this; "Mr. President, I will make you a deal. I will put 100,000 people to work in 12 months beginning tomorrow. They will be 15-23 years old and will make minimum wage but they will learn empathy, compassion, respect and responsibility. They will make mistakes, screw up and do wrong but the pay off will not be some high profit point at the end of the year. They will all learn that Superman is right here in front of our eyes, every day! Hopefully the media will then show that Superman is the custodian that keeps the schools clean, the CNA who wipes the elderly's behind, the bus driver who talks to a latch key kid on his way home from school, preventing a gang member from taking him in and showing him some much needed attention in exchange for selling a few drugs or bullying a fellow neighborhood member into not talking with the police about the crime this gang is creating." We have just about succeeded in dumbing down America's kids! Those seven bullies I mentioned above need a job and need to get back on an educational track! We must cut to the chase America, let's get the hard things done and get these kids some tough love, a mentor (if parents are unable) and someone who is there for them physically and mentally and not just there to get ratings in the media. Our kids need to learn that there is no glory in becoming a drug dealer and ruffian. Even Michael Vick got a second chance AND a phone call from our President!
I cannot count the number of schools that are not going to do the Bullying Hurts Program due to lack of federal funds. We have to stop relying on government for what is going on in our own neighborhoods! What about the local support? The trade off is a good kid that becomes a good citizen. It will take a dirty, four letter word to make this all happen; the word is W-O-R-K. What if the guys giving away the jerseys believed it was more important to give some valuable time as a mentor or fund educational programs, rather than kudos for yards gained or passes caught? Can you imagine how many kids who are on the wrong track, could benefit? It was reported that it costs 3 million dollars for a 30 second ad at the Super Bowl. It is a million plus dollars per TV episode for an actor in rehab. I could re-education the entire education system with the money spent on these things every year! We must decide what is truly important here. You figure it out; it starts with education, both technical and academic. Until we get it right it will be just fine to "fake the cure" with 15 minutes of sensationalized air time instead of the actual work needed to make a change.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I believe it is high time the citizens of this country get mad and decide to do something for the kids who are going down the wrong road, ending up in prison systems and worst. Pay now or pay later America! These are our children and we are all responsible for how they end up. Every one of us can do something that will help!! I am standing up...what about you?
Feel free to contact me with your thoughts, ideas and opinions.
Sincerely, Starvin' Marvin Nash
(or maybe...several words)
Today I have decided that "enough is enough" and the TV Show, The View, has finally brought the ignorance and misunderstanding of bullying over the top! In an effort to secure ratings, masked as a story about bullying, The View, as well as many other morning show media, have had the young boy from Upper Darby, PA (who was bullied by seven other young men and hung in a tree) on national television and - oh yes, let us not forget that they also brought on big time football players who gave the bullying victim a jersey and told him that they would "have his back." Let me put this in words that I am sure everyone will understand; this is BULL! (pardon the pun) There are seven kids deeper into the juvenile system because The View, these big time football players and all the other media who ran this story, were reactive for ratings instead of pro-active for the sake of these kids. Why couldn't these same people have showed up every Monday in a school somewhere to work with kids like these? It just might have been exactly what these seven boys needed to put them on the right path of education and social behavior! We do not have to guess, it is a fact that good male role models are few and far between and as nice as it was to give the bullying victim a fancy jersey with a high profile name on it, it will do those seven bullies no good now! We must learn the reason why, what is wrong on the inside of a kid, comes out in such a negative way. To stop this kind of thing, I rolled my rodeo clown barrel from the Capital in D.C. to Cowtown, NJ (140 miles) where I work every Summer as their rodeo clown. Along the way I was asked by a D.C. reporter what I thought would come out of my efforts and I told her that I hoped we will all learn, become aware, be engaged and better educate our kids. Sadly, we have not. Oh yes, there is much more awareness of bullying. When we created Bullying Hurts ten years ago, you could Google the word bullying and get maybe 100 or so pages of information, today if you do the same search you will get back 11,487,000 pages of information - and still the problem is getting worse! If you are Gay or Lesbian, you get your own organization or the Department of Education writes a "Dear Colleague" letter, but if you are 13, black, small, poor and live in a rough neighborhood, witnesses do not even call 911. What difference does it make what or who you are - no one, should be mistreated or abandoned when you are hurting.
Today bullying is to kids what drugs were in the 60's. Bullying gives the same euphoria that young people received from drugs that they took. They actually get a kind of high from bullying others. This information was given to me by many kids that I have questioned on the reasons for bullying. The special interest groups, media and TV, gets more attention and ratings for covering bullying issues. Waiting for Superman has us believing that educators are to blame. We have little or no discipline in schools. We have kids on the street that are uneducated and unemployed, but why work when you can get free food, a free home and free health care from the system? The system IS the problem. I would love to have a half hour conversation with the president and tell him this; "Mr. President, I will make you a deal. I will put 100,000 people to work in 12 months beginning tomorrow. They will be 15-23 years old and will make minimum wage but they will learn empathy, compassion, respect and responsibility. They will make mistakes, screw up and do wrong but the pay off will not be some high profit point at the end of the year. They will all learn that Superman is right here in front of our eyes, every day! Hopefully the media will then show that Superman is the custodian that keeps the schools clean, the CNA who wipes the elderly's behind, the bus driver who talks to a latch key kid on his way home from school, preventing a gang member from taking him in and showing him some much needed attention in exchange for selling a few drugs or bullying a fellow neighborhood member into not talking with the police about the crime this gang is creating." We have just about succeeded in dumbing down America's kids! Those seven bullies I mentioned above need a job and need to get back on an educational track! We must cut to the chase America, let's get the hard things done and get these kids some tough love, a mentor (if parents are unable) and someone who is there for them physically and mentally and not just there to get ratings in the media. Our kids need to learn that there is no glory in becoming a drug dealer and ruffian. Even Michael Vick got a second chance AND a phone call from our President!
I cannot count the number of schools that are not going to do the Bullying Hurts Program due to lack of federal funds. We have to stop relying on government for what is going on in our own neighborhoods! What about the local support? The trade off is a good kid that becomes a good citizen. It will take a dirty, four letter word to make this all happen; the word is W-O-R-K. What if the guys giving away the jerseys believed it was more important to give some valuable time as a mentor or fund educational programs, rather than kudos for yards gained or passes caught? Can you imagine how many kids who are on the wrong track, could benefit? It was reported that it costs 3 million dollars for a 30 second ad at the Super Bowl. It is a million plus dollars per TV episode for an actor in rehab. I could re-education the entire education system with the money spent on these things every year! We must decide what is truly important here. You figure it out; it starts with education, both technical and academic. Until we get it right it will be just fine to "fake the cure" with 15 minutes of sensationalized air time instead of the actual work needed to make a change.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I believe it is high time the citizens of this country get mad and decide to do something for the kids who are going down the wrong road, ending up in prison systems and worst. Pay now or pay later America! These are our children and we are all responsible for how they end up. Every one of us can do something that will help!! I am standing up...what about you?
Feel free to contact me with your thoughts, ideas and opinions.
Sincerely, Starvin' Marvin Nash
